RESCHEDULED: Wikipedia Edit-a-thon: University of Chicago Edition

On April 15, 2015 the University of Chicago Library will host a Wikipedia edit-a-thon in the Special Collections Research Center. The subject focus of the event is great women in University of Chicago history. Experienced Wikipedia editors and new users alike are welcome to participate. Librarians in Special Collections have chosen specific events, organizations, and people without existing Wikipedia articles to be created as part of this event. As well as short articles that can be expanded upon. The list includes some notable names to be researched and added to Wikipedia: Georgiana Simpson, Gertrude Dudley, and Marlene Dixon. This is a great opportunity to learn how to edit Wikipedia but also learn about the role of women in shaping and sustaining the University.

Those in attendance will be able to consult primary source material in special collections as well as print and electronic secondary sources to verify facts. Staff will be on site to offer help navigating online resources to help editors build new articles or enhance existing articles.

Wikipedia has a lot to offer and gain from working with the University Library. This event provides an opportunity to learn how articles are built and maintained and provide on-site access to databases and one-on-one assistance from reference librarians in navigating these sources. New users shouldn’t shy away from attending.

The event begins at 4:00 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. Dinner will be provided. Come for all or part of the evening. Registration required, please RSVP by 4/12/15. Email: specialcollections@lib.uchicago.edu or sign up on Facebook.

Participants are asked to bring their own laptop and power cord.

New to Wikipedia?

Create an account on Wikipedia, if you don’t have one already. There are a lot of benefits for doing so, particularly with collaborative events like edit-a-thons.

Once your account is made, try running through The Wikipedia Adventure, an automated tutorial that will help cover some of the basics of using Wikipedia. It takes about an hour to complete, and it’s an excellent resource for getting started.